Not much else survived. Beautifully woven wall hangings and rugs brought from Egypt lay in charred shreds. Exquisite furniture of ebony and ivory was virtually unrecognisable. Decius sighed. There was not much of such quality in Britain and now it was gone.
He carried the box of Isis back to town with him to await the return of the Egyptian.
Then he paid a visit to Brendan.
There had been no damage to the statue of Claudius and no trace of foul play around the house, but the centurion remembered Brendan’s attack on the Egyptian before the Temple of Sulis Minerva.
Brendan seemed to be expecting him, which, Decius thought, was suspicious, but he hotly denied any involvement when questioned.
“What makes you think it wasn’t an accident?” he demanded sulkily as Decius continued to question
